TAMESIDE Hospital has boosted its aim to reach ‘net zero’ by 2040 by planting 10 new trees.
Bosses say the trees will help capture and store carbon emissions, as well as improve the hospital’s surroundings.
The trees were planted across the site in Ashton-under-Lyne on Thursday, March 20, and Friday, March 21, by City of Trees, the Community Forest for Greater Manchester.
They are a mixture of native and ornamental trees and it’s estimated that when they reach maturity, they will capture around 400,000 kg of CO2 gas over their lifetime – equivalent to the emissions caused by an average car driving more than 18,750 miles.
The planting has been funded through the Government’s Northern Forest programme and supported by Stericycle – the firm which collects and processes the hospital’s clinical waste.
Jonathan O’Brien, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive at Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, joined in the planting.
“It was a pleasure to support the planting of these new trees, which will help to make the hospital brighter and greener in the future,” he said.
“I’d like to thank both City of Trees and Stericycle for their role in helping it happen.
“These new trees are also a small part of our much bigger plan to reduce our carbon emissions and achieve net zero, which is important both for the health of local people and the pressing need to reduce the impact of climate change.”